adminThe HR Summit 2026 will bring people professionals together at The Royal Institution in London on October 1. The programme includes keynote talks, practical discussions on workplace challenges and breakout sessions, followed by the 2026 Best Places to Work Awards.
What to expect at the HR Summit 2026
The day-long event features more than a dozen sessions focused on people, leadership and workplace culture in the games industry. Topics include neurodiversity, artificial intelligence in HR, employee relations, unions and the skills businesses may need in the future.
The morning programme focuses on issues affecting people professionals, including AI, legislation and employee representation. In the afternoon, sessions turn to leadership, workplace culture and how people strategies can support business performance. For attendees planning their day, the parallel breakout rooms offer different discussions at the same times, so checking the schedule in advance can help with choosing sessions.
Breakout discussions will use Chatham House rules, allowing attendees to share perspectives in a facilitated setting. Subjects include managing performance during business disruption, identifying skills pathways and responding to the growing use of AI in HR and across organisations.
HR Summit 2026 full schedule
Main stage: morning
- 08:30: Registration, tea and coffee
- 09:00: Welcome to the HR Summit
- 09:15: The Future of People Leadership – Resilience, complexity, changing expectations | Sarah Venables
- 09:45: Becoming the Critical Friend – How HR earns influence and becomes a strategic business partner | Niki Head
- 10:15: Unions, Employee Voice and the Future of Games Workplaces
- 11:00: Break
Breakout rooms: late morning
Breakout Room 1
- 11:20: Managing Neurodiversity in the Workplace – Practical approaches to supporting performance, making adjustments, and helping managers lead neurodiverse teams
- 12:05: AI in Employment Relations – Practical guidance for handling AI-generated cases, evidence, and employee relations challenges
Breakout Room 2
- 11:20: Preparing Your People Strategy for AI – Exploring the workforce, leadership, and capability challenges created by AI
- 12:05: Beyond Resilience: Supervision for HR Leaders – Creating space for reflection, better judgement and sustainable People leadership
Main stage: afternoon
- 12:45: Lunch
- 13:30: People as a Competitive Advantage – How workplace culture drives organisational success | Jonny Hopper
- 14:00: People Strategy in Practice – Turning culture into business impact | Harvey Elliott and Carmen Martino
Breakout rooms: afternoon
Breakout Room 1
- 14:30: Employee Expectations vs Business Reality: Balancing flexibility, transparency, and employee experience with commercial realities
- 15:15: The Skills Challenge: How do we build, retain and develop the capabilities games business will need next?
Breakout Room 2
- 14:30: Performance in a People First Workplace: How do we create accountability, address under performance and maintain high standards while building supportive workplaces?
- 15:15: Culture Through Change: Maintaining trust, engagement and performance during periods of change
Main stage: closing programme
- 16:00: What Makes a Great Games Workplace in 2027? If we had the courage to tackle three things over the next two years what should they be?
- 16:30: Drinks and networking
- 17:15: Best Places to Work Awards
- 18:15: Drinks and networking
- 19:00: Event ends
Best Places to Work Awards
The awards programme will recognise small, medium and large companies, alongside special categories for Education, Diversity and Corporate Social Responsibility. The ceremony follows the summit’s talks and networking sessions.
With sessions spanning workplace culture, people leadership, AI and skills development, the HR Summit 2026 schedule offers attendees a structured overview of the day. Reviewing the overlapping breakout slots ahead of time can make it easier to prioritise the discussions most relevant to their work.
